Condiment-holder.



J. W. MEAKER. CONDIMEN T HOLDER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2, woe.

91 3 ,028. Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

WITNESSES. INVENTOI apertures in its ends in which a UNITED STATESPLgTENT ()FFICE.

JOHN W. MEAKER, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

CONDIMENT-HOLDER.

' Application filed. January 2,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN WV. MEAKER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in Detroit, in the county of 'Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in CondimentHolders, of which the following is a specification, reference being hadtherein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to condiment holders for table use adapted todeliver small quantities of powdered pepper, salt or the like, andespecially to certain arrangements thereof whereby the contents of theholder is not exposed to the outer air and may be positively ejected asneeded without inverting or agitating the holder as in the usual type.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a View in longitudinal section of apreferred form of holder constructed of sheet metal, whichembodiesfeatures of the invention. Fig. 2 is a bottom view of theholder. Fig. 8 is a view in transverse section on line ww of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a view of a modified form of sheet metal holder having a screwtop.

In its general features, the device consists of an appropriately shapedclosed body or condiment receptacle having alined guide lunger orejector 1s reciprocable longitudlnally, the condiment being delivered orforced through the lower guide aperture by the lower end of the ejectoras the latter is made to play back and forth through the aperture, thereceptacle being closed to the outer air at all times save when beingfilled. The receptacle and ejector may be returned to or maintained intheir normal position by gravity or by sprlngs.

In the preferred form of sheet metal construction, as illustrated inFigs. 1 to 3, a tubular receptacle 1 has an indrawn, centrally aperturedbase 2, and telescopes with an outer casing 3 which has an indrawn upperend 4: with a guide aperture alined with the aperture of the base 2. Thelower end of the casing is flared out to form a supporting flange 5.

A bridge 6 consisting of a sheet metal strip secured transversely on thebase 2 by tongues 7 on its upper margin passing through slots in thebase and headed down Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909 1908. Serial N0. 408,986.

has projecting ends which may be turned into engagement with cross-wires8 on the flange 5 and thus lock the parts together. The ejector, in thisform, is a drawn metal tube 9 with permanently closed upper end, andextends through and is reciprocable in the guide apertures of thereceptacle and easing, its lower end having longitudinal slots givingclearance for the bridge 6 the upper ends of which slots form stops orshoulders and prevent its turning. A central lug 10 on the bridge actsas a keeper for a spring 11 in compression between the bridge and top ofthe ejector, a cotter pin 12 or hke convenient stop limiting theup-stroke of the ejector. For convenience in assembling, after filling,a guide ring 13 encircles the upper end of the ejector and is secured inaxial alinement with the guide apertures by a radial arm 14: secured atits outer end to the receptacle wall.

Indents, notches or pockets 15 are formed in the ejector wall so as tobe open into the receptacle just above the bottom when the ejector is inits upper position, and to discharge outside or below the receptaclewhen the ejector .is fully depressed. These indents preferably have asquare upper shoulder and sloping side, the shoulder pushing through thecondiment which settles around the ejector in the cylinder and shoving aportion of it out through the base.

A slight modification of this form of construction is shown in Fig. 4,the receptacle 17 bein cylindrical with bottom disk 18 marginallyflanged and permanently inserted. A centrally apertured screw-cap 19detachably engages the upper open screw threaded end of the receptacle,and an ejector 20, bridge 21 and spring 22 similar in all respects tothe ones previously described complete the holder.

One feature of the invention is the sealing of the receptacle at alltimes to the outer air when not being filled, so that the condiment doesnot deteriorate.

Anotherimportant feature is the positive ejection of a definite quantityof condiment at each stroke. The retraction of the ejector wipes off anyadhering particles so there is no waste and no scattering of the pepper,etc., when not wanted. The position of the ejector indents or pockets atthe lower end of the receptacle is such that the holder discharges asreadily when nearly empty as when full, while the movement of theejector through the mass of the condiment prevents any tendency to cake,and consequently there is no clogging.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a condiment holder, a cylindrical receptacle having a guideaperture in its bottom, a cylindrical ejector axially reciprocable inthe aperture provided with periph eral pockets which are moved in andout of the receptacle by the reciprocation of the ejector, a bridgesecured to the bottom of the receptacle across the guide aperture, andengaging slots in the ejector end, a spring in compression between thebridge and the ejector, and a member detachably engaging and closing theupper end of the receptacle.

2. In a condiment holder, a substantially cylindrical receptacleprovided with a guide aperture in its bottom, a detachable memberclosing the upper end of the receptacle, provided'with a guide aperturealined with the receptacle, abridge consisting of a metal strip securedon the bottom of the receptacle across the guide aperture, a hollowcylindrical ejector reciprocable in the apertures provided'with slots inone end engaging the bridge and with peripheral indents that are movedin and out of the receptacle by the reciprocation of the ejector, and aspring incompression between the bridge and the ejector.

3. In a condiment holder, a cylindrical sheet metal receptacle closed atits lower end and. provided with a guide aperture in its bottom,a sheetmetal casing closing the upper end of the receptacle provided with aflange detachably engaging the receptacle wall and with a guide aperturealined with the receptacle guide aperture, a bridge consisting of asheet metal strip secured to the receptacle bottom across the aperture,a tubular ejector reciprocable in the aperture and provided withperipheral indents which are moved in and out of "the receptacle throughthe bottom aperture by the recipro cation of the ejector, a spring incompression between the bridge and ejector, and a stop limiting themovement of the ejector.

4. In a condiment holder, a cylindrical sheet metal receptacle having alower endwall provided with a guide aperture, a cylindrical sheet metalcasing adapted to telescopically engage the receptacle and provided withan upper end wall having a guide aperture alined with the receptacleaperture and with a flange on its open end extending below thereceptacle bottom, a bridge consisting of a sheet metal strip secured tothe bottom across the guide aper ture, shoulders on the flange adaptedto interlock with the bridge ends, astubular ejector reciprocable in theguide apertures provided with peripheral indents which lie within thereceptacle when the ejector is retracted and outside the receptacle whenthe ejector is projected, a spring in, compression between the bridgeand ejector and a stop limiting the movement of the ejector.

In testimony whereof I afliX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN XV. MEAKER- lVitnesses.

C. R. STIGKNEY, Or'ro F. BARTHEL,

